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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · suit · pass · prune · clip · lean · key · land

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — ground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. clip — a video
  11. lean — thin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — government
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rule — a law
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com